1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein pertains to furniture seating and particularly pertains to seating utilizing a spring assembly having main torsion and intermediate support springs.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objectives of the Invention
Furniture manufacturers have utilized various types of torsion spring assemblies in furniture seats for many years. While obtaining acceptance in the "lower end" market, torsion spring assemblies have not been received well in the "higher end" furniture since they do not have the comfort or feel of "eight-way tied" coil spring assemblies which are considered to be the ultimate in comfort and durability. Manufacturers do not generally like to use eight-way tied spring assemblies since they are expensive to manufacture, difficult to handle due to their weight and bulk, and require additional steps in the furniture manufacturing process. Torsion spring assemblies that have been used to date are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, weigh less, and are easier to handle, but soon lose their resiliency when compared to eight-way tied spring assemblies. Also, conventional coil spring assemblies do not provide the "unified" feel like the eight-way tied spring assemblies offer. Other manufacturers have utilized seamless springs which are connected along the front and rear rails of the seating and utilize a coil spring midway therealong to provide additional support. Such sinuous spring stuctures provide "hard" edges along the front and rear rails and are not favored in "high-end" furniture.
Thus, with the disadvantages and problems associated with prior art spring assemblies, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a spring assembly for furniture seating or the like utilizing a combination of torsion and intermediate coil or folded form springs to provide "soft" edges to the spring assembly.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a spring assembly whereby intermediate springs are positioned near the rear of the spring assembly to provide additional support where seating weight is most heavily directed.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a spring assembly in which intermediate springs are affixed to torsion springs by the use of lateral, parallel rods.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a spring assembly utilizing both torsion and intermediate springs which include a stiffening frame surrounding the top of the spring assembly.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a furniture frame for a sofa or the like which utilizes a wooden rectangular rail assembly with lateral internal rails for supporting the torsion and intermediate springs.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.